PTI - Can Tiger Woods Make A Comeback at the 2026 Masters?

Episode Date: February 19, 2026

Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser highlights USA alpine skier, Mikaela Shiffrin's first gold medal win, discuss the biggest storylines in college hoops, and Tiger Wood's potential comeback? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, sports fans, the ESPN app has all of ESPN all in one place. The ESPN app is your home to thousands of live events, ESPN shows, and originals across every ESPN network and service. And now you can check if you already have ESPN Unlimited as part of your TV package for no additional calls. Visit activate.esPN.com to learn how to access your account or sign up, then start streaming in the ESPN app. It's all of ESPN all in one place. Sign up or activate now. Pardon the interruption, but I'm Mike Wilburne. Tony. A naked man in Wisconsin drove off in an ambulance with a patient inside. I'm Tony Kornheiser. What was I going to do, kick him out?

Well, probably good you didn't. What are you doing getting behind the wheel of an ambulance? See, you accept this because it's from a Midwestern state. Had it been a man in Florida, you would have said, oh, no, I don't believe. Do you know why else? Cheeseheads. They do something like that. They do this? Yeah. They jump in an ambulance completely naked, really. Welcome to PTI, boys and girls. In today's episode, Michigan Rolls, Tiger Woods won't rule out the masters, and Justin Verlander joins us for five good minutes. But we begin today with the Winter Olympics. Michaela Schifrin ended an 0-4-8 drought in the last two games by winning her best event of slalom today. In men's hockey, the U.S. is facing Sweden right now.

Really? And Canada top Czechia in overtime. And Norway's number one cross-country skier, Johannes Husflot Klabo, won his fifth gold medal in Cortina and his 10th gold overall. all. Only swimmer Michael Phelps has more. Wilbon, what is your biggest takeaway from today? I could say Clabo, because when you go all time, right, and it's only Michael Phelps out there in front of you, and that's in part because swimming has 435 events. Come on now. That's something to really be proud of and set yourself apart. But the hockey, Tony, I mean, Canada needs an overtime to win in advance, and the United States is now in overtime, and these are the two teams

We thought we were going to have most of us in North America rooting for that. The United States on the verge of victory, right, we think. And so they're taking the overtime. And now, who knows, I think that it was one nothing with about three minutes. It was one nothing for the most of the game. And the United States holding an absolute advantage. I'm not going to say dominant. But now who knows what's going to happen in the rest of that one?

So you give me the chance then to talk about Michaela Schifford. Of course. Because I thought that what she did was the most important thing that happened today because she had been in a situation where she had failed in recent Olympics. She was 0 for 6 or 0 for 8, whatever she was. And there was this notion that she was being intimidated by the Olympics, that she couldn't get up to speed in the Olympics. And it's not like she's not great.

She's the goat. She has more World Cup wins than any man or any woman. of all time and in the run-up to the Olympics, she was killing it. So you had to think to yourself, maybe the moment in the Olympics is too much for her, right? That's what you had to think. By winning today, that throws all the psychoanalytical stuff out the window. It throws out the window the fact that she was terrible in the combined event when Breezy Johnson had given her a big lead and she could not do the slalom her best race.

She was terrible just a few days ago, by her standards, terrible. I think it was in the giant slalom. Now, she has won before, Mike. She'd won gold medals in 2014 and 2008. But this is a long drought. Went through China and was going through the Italian Olympics. And I would think even with those gold medals, this is the one she savors the most. Well, the amazing thing is, I mean, she's the youngest winner.

At 18. And the oldest winner at 30. And so she's had, I look at this. We talked about this the other day in relationship to Maddox and who else? And to Clinton Kirshall. and that they were great for so much of their careers. And then on this particular moment, World Series, October baseball, they weren't great.

And Schifrin had the same situation. Here's the difference. Oldest and youngest. Lindsay Vaughn crashes, as we know. The Quad God falls, as we know. Chloe Kim Silver instead of gold. But Schifrin got a second chance. Recovery.

She got another chance they did not, and she made the most of it. Good for her. Let's move with some compelling college hoops results from last night. Top ranked Michigan, dusted number seven Purdue in West Lafayette. Miami of Ohio State unbeaten with a win at UMass. We had three court stormings as Arizona State beat Texas Tech, Iowa beat Nebraska, and Rhode Island beat St. Louis.

Plus, Michigan State drubbed UCLA in a game in which Bruins head coach, Mick Cronin, sent his own player to the locker room after a flagrant foul tone, which was most compelling to you? You know how I feel about court storming? I don't like it. But I have to say, it's a one-and-a-thousand-a-thous shot if somebody says to me that Rhode Island storms the court after beating St. Louis. Because I don't see Rhode Island and St. Louis as Duke North Carolina.

You know about that old-old rivalry? No, I mean, they are separated by thousands of miles, and I didn't know it was a blood rivalry. Let me get to Mick Cronin. Because we're in an atmosphere here where Kansas State recently fired Jerome Tang for being bad and critical of his players in public. Mick Cronin last night sent his own kid to the locker room. The referees didn't send him to the locker. They didn't throw him out of the game.

Mick Cronin threw him out of the game for what was not even said to be judged to be a flagrant too. And by the way, we looked at that and it was borderline. But you could look at that and say of Cronin if you wanted to. You could say, well, this demonstrates some level of sportsmanship that you're doing this after a file in the air to an opposing player. You could make that argument. Or egotism. I won't. Because you take the law into your own hands or egotism.

He's lost this kid now. It's hard for me to imagine. I agree. Afterwards, he got into it. It got into it with a guy questioning him in the postgame, and he uprated that guy. Look, the Jerome Tank firing, to me, looms large in this. Mick Cronin, it's a tough road trip. At Michigan, at Michigan State, you get bombed.

Cronin's got stature. Nobody at UCLA is even going to pick up the phone to call probably pavilion. Really? Because they are nine and six in conference, and he's not John Wood. And somebody could call and say, do we really need this guy? You don't think that'll happen. No. And you know a Tang, I felt certain that's going to happen. That's right. Yeah, you would be.

I don't think it's going to happen to crime. He has a healthy ego to say at least. By the way, the thing, I don't want to skip over, is the word in it means the most to me, undefeated. Miami of Ohio. Miami of Ohio. Look, I know they're not going to go through. No.

But they could get to, if they get to the tournament undefeated, in the Mac, fine. They're not playing, you know, power. conference teams every night. I think you have to win one. But how cool is that you and I remember the last time? By the way, it's been Indiana. 50 years. Undefeated team. Quinn Buckner. It's been a lot. I don't grow it up. I'm surprised. You didn't mention Michigan

and Purdue. I will just say this. And I don't want to understate Michigan winning at Purdue. That's a great win. The number one team in the country. But I want to see if they can back it up in Washington, D.C. on Saturday when they play Duke. Michigan looks like a better team right now to me, and they're

10 deep. They are. They are. That's what you want to see. Can you back it up? Let's move to golf. The elephant in the room is Tiger Woods saying he has not ruled out playing in this year's Masters. The Masters starts on April 9th. That's only seven weeks away.

Tiger Woods has not gotten on a golf course in a real tournament since the British Open in 2024. We all love Tiger. We all think he's great to watch. Wilbon, how do you feel about the potential of seeing Tiger tee it up at Augusta? I have no appetite whatsoever for watching Tiger Woods play again. after what we saw lately, most recently.

And look, look, I turned into a golf wunk after 30 years old for one reason, Tiger Woods, right? I understand my whole life. And you know this. I understand, yeah. Tiger, watching and obsessing over Tiger, there were doing things in my life,

I liked as much as watching Tiger Woods, watching Muhammad Ali and Michael Jordan. That's the list. I understand. But Tony, it's over. And I don't want to see Tiger. We know how hilly Augusta National is and how difficult to walk it is.

And so Tiger, Tiger has what body parts are actually his. Okay. He's walked that five times as a champion. He's won at five times. He can negotiate his way around Augusta. Look, if I watch this, I'm going to watch it with my hands over my face and in the aperture, I'm going to get my eye through and I'm going to look at it.

And you know why? Because it's a scary movie to me. It is Scream 7 or whatever they are advertising now. Tiger Woods has had a million operations on his back and on his legs. He's just coming out of his seventh back surgery. Every bone in his body is fused to another bone in his body, and I don't want to see him play and playing, because we've all seen that clip where he swings and he goes right down to his knees.

Okay. You know what you're describing. You're describing a circumstance with Lindsey Vaughn. We just went through this. You want to see Tiger Woods screaming in agony at the bottom of a hill? Let me go to something that I know you will understand. TGL. TGL, where they play indoors

and they hit balls into a bed sheet. You don't like it, and I do. No. They are running an ad now for TGL, and it says more this, more that, more the other thing. And it very specifically says more Tiger. They show Tiger in a red shirt

with his arms out, more Tiger. You know why? Because he's there. He's physically there. He's helping his teammates. He's reading puts. He's encouraging everybody, but he's not actually playing.

And that to me is Tiger right now, that he's not actually ready. to play. And so therefore, we don't have any appetite for this. We don't. It's not even... Look, I know there was 2018 and 19. Whenever he came back and won the Masters. The most unlikely

event we've ever seen in golf. But again, now, with these fake body parts, come on, now. Let's take a break. Coming up, we will ask Justin Verlander what feels different about being in Detroit for the second time around. Do we have a... Do we have a... Do we have a score? Do you one win? Two-one win by the

For the United States of America? You feel good, don't you? Two one win. How about that? We're also going to ask him how he'd restore the prominence of starting pitcher. So that's quick. So now they move on and Canada move on both in overtime. So you knew it was three on three in overtime in the Olympics.

Wow, that's like a lot of ice. Thrilling to watch. Yeah. Well, you know, live TV ain't nothing like it. We couldn't watch it. We couldn't watch it. And nobody's airlifted out of the three-on-three. Oh, you're overreacting for that, Tiger.

You're overreacting. Come on now. I don't want to see that. Three times saw a young winner, Justin Verlander, took a several years sabbatical from the Tigers, but now he's back with the team and with us. We welcome, Justin. Let's start with this.

It's early, obviously. But what feels different about the organization and about you? Well, I mean, personally, a lot's changed, you know, married. Got two kids now. You know, life is well outside of the field, which has really changed me. I think I try to be more present and just enjoy the moments a little bit more because I see how fast they go. The organization has changed drastically, obviously.

They've been through a heck of a rebuild. You know, pretty cool to be back with AJ Hens, who I had in Houston and always enjoyed playing for. So there's a lot of connection there. There's a couple staff members that are still around and it's been fun to connect with them. Not many, though, not many. But a lot of new faces to meet, that's for sure. Let's talk about one of the young bucks, a total stud, obviously. And Mr. Scoobel, who sounded totally giddy, talking about you, calling you a childhood idol.

And he said he couldn't wait to learn from you. What's it been like so far with him? And what have you taught him so far? Man, what I taught him so far, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. I said, I'm going to leave you alone, man. No, it's been great to connect with him. got the chance last year in San Francisco. I saw him on the field and obviously, you know, just, just, we're going to be forever linked, Sy Young winners from the Detroit Tigers. So I went over

and said hi and introduced myself. And, you know, so we had a little bit of a connection coming in. And I think, you know, just getting to know him as a person, as a competitor. And I'm trying not to do too much. You know, I, I respect what he's been able to accomplish in this game. And he's been one to chat with me a bunch and me from him, man. You know, old dogs can still learn new tricks. So I think maybe if we could both kind of, you know, make each other incrementally better, that'd be great. You referred to the Giants, and I want to go back to that for a second, because you struggled early, as we all know, but you finished strong. What changed during that period and that transition, Justin? And, you know, do you have any doubts about sort of being able to pick up where you left off?

A lot changed. I made a lot of mechanical adjustments throughout the course of the season. one of my tougher years. There's been a couple like that throughout my career. It's kind of it's one of those things that when you sit down at the end of the year, you kind of feel good about it because some years everything goes great and it's easy and don't get me wrong. I'd rather it be that way every single time. But sometimes when it's the most difficult and you're able to kind of scratch and claw your way out of it and find something mechanically that makes it work and you're able to finish strong, you feel good about it. And that's how I kind of evaluated myself.

after last year when I sat down and was like, man, that was a tough one. But to be able to find it still at 42 and make a click and pitch well down the stretch made all the hard work worth it in the first half. So how that carries over into this year, am I confident? I'm going to be dead honest and say I haven't been confident in the single spring training in my entire career. Really? It's a brand new season. No, it's a brand new season every single year. There's new panic every single year. The first bullpenny to throw when the pitches aren't doing what you're used to doing or what you want them to do. It's, you know, you go in and sit in the locker and you're like, oh, my gosh,

is this going to be the year? But that hasn't changed, whether I was, you know, 40 plus or 25 or 30. It's been the same every year. So it's funny you ask that because today I had my first, like, live bullpen situation. And I didn't love how it went. So I went in the locker. And I'm like, oh, God, it's over. And apparently I've got a few other guys in there, I think the same way every year that

are also really good. So that was fun to talk about them. One of the many reasons that I'm rooting for you is the role of a starting pitcher and how it's diminished. And it's a thing I stress out over maybe because until I was about 17, I thought it might be one of these days of a starting pitcher. And it's almost like there's an extinction. Justin, how do you feel about this? And do you think baseball needs a more prominent role for the starting pitcher? I think it does.

I think it, yes. I think it's a really nuanced question, and I mean, I could probably go on for the entirety of this show about that. But I do think it's something that needs to be addressed from, from majorly baseball standpoint. Obviously, analytics has changed the game dramatically since I've been around, and you see the way that that's affecting not only how young guys throw, how hard they're throwing, the injuries, how managers manage the game,

how guys are taught to go through the lineup. You know, you don't see guys as often going through the lineup three times. It's analytics say that they should be out of there the third time through because it's, you know, the hitters have more chance of success. I don't know how to answer that. I mean, I've thought extensively about it and I have some thoughts, but that would take a while. We will get you out of here on this. By the way, I love the fact that Terik Scouble thinks of you as his childhood idol.

That must turn a little bit. Childhood idol, you know? especially since he's not like, he's not like 21 years old, you know? All right, we get you out. Speaking of how old people are, you 42, you have 266 wins. It's the most of any active pitcher. Is 300 something that drives you? I wouldn't say it drives me, but, you know, it's definitely on the horizon.

At this point, I think I'm very clear-minded about it's a year-by-year thing. If something catastrophic happens, like, I'm not going to grind through a, surgery or something like that to continue to play. So, but I haven't lost, as you say at the drive, but it's not for 300. It's for love of the game. I really do. I enjoy competing. Every old player that I've talked to is like play until the wheels fall off, play until they

rip the jersey off of you, you know, because once it's gone, it's gone. And I really, I really listen to them. Some people I really respect. And look, if I can still play this game at a high level, you know, last year, the second half. I really proved it to myself and others. So, you know, I think it would be a disservice to all the work I've put in in my entire career, my, you know, my entire life. I've been playing this game since I was five years old, you know, and that's led me to where I am. And if I were to cut that short now, I just wouldn't feel good about it. It's a great pleasure to have you when we

have you. Thank you, Justin. Thank you. Happy to be on. Thanks, guys. And next time we're at Kinlock will sign your number. Let's take one last break. Still to come, Caleb Williams thinks the Their theirs can make the scoring record theirs. Really? Yeah, well, we'll talk about that. In just weeks after the Seahawks rolled, comes word they'll be sold. You think, you knew that anyway. Do you like people when they say that you were their childhood idol?

You like that? Yeah. Really? What greater flattery is there than that? Huh? What greater honor is there in that? But now they're in their 60s and they say it. No, they're not saying it in this.

Yes, they're saying it. They're 60s. Happy time people. 41st birthday David Stearns. Stearns is the president of baseball operations for the New York Mets. He's the guy who gets to spend the owner Steve Cohen's money. Stern spent a ton of it on Juan Soto last year and the Mets did not make the playoffs. Cohen said he's, quote, absolutely annoyed at that result.

Cohen felt the Mets would be in the World Series within five years of him buying the team. This is year six. The Mets have only made the playoffs twice, so Stearns is overhauling the team. Peter Lanzo, Edwin Diaz, Brendan Nimmo, and Jeff McNeil are now playing else And in their places are people like Bo Bichette, Freddie Peralta, Devin Williams, and Marcus Semyon. Happy birthday and good luck, David Stearns. I think that many of us outside the greater New York area,

the Mets have now become more dislikable than the Yankees. The Mets have become the team you could just look at and go, enough, enough of you people. The team of my youth, I won't listen to that. Happy anniversary, Rashid Wallace. On this day, 22 years ago, in his first and only game with the Atlanta Hawks after being traded there by Portland, Wallace

scored 20 points at six rebounds, five blocks, two assists and a steel in a close loss to the nets. The next day, Wallace was traded to the Detroit Pistons, where he would play a pivotal role in their title run that season and their return to the NBA finals the next season. Wallace has since turned to coaching and is now associate head coach at a Tennessee high school. In the last dozen years, Wallace has coached in the NBA with the Pistons in college for Penny Hardaway at Memphis and also in high school. His mantra has to be my team play. My man. My team play hard.

Absolutely. Just one. Only need one. Happy Trails, Pablo Lopez, the twins ace will likely miss the entire season and more if he opts for surgery to repair a significant tear to his UCL-U-CL in his pitching elbow. This would be Lopez's second Tommy John surgery. He also missed much of last season with shoulder and forearm injuries. Lopez has been the twins' opening day start of the last three seasons.

He'd also been scheduled to pitch for Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic. You have to be bionic now, don't you? I mean, your arm just falls off. His second one, and he's had other injuries as well, because you go out there and I think you throw too hard for too long. As much torque as you can muster. Yeah. Enough.

Yeah. Let's go to the big finish. Orlando's Franz Wagner is out indefinitely with a sore ankle, and Kings players Zach Levine and DeMontos Sabonis are out for the season after having surgery. Your thoughts? Orlando cannot be what it looks like it could be if Franz Wagner is not on the floor. There's a lot of games. They need them out there.

Kyrie will sit out the rest of the season and return next season. That makes sense? I guess. I mean, he got hurt last March. I guess it makes sense. You don't have to rush it back. They're terrible. They're not going out.

No, they're not going to. Patrick Mahomes restructured his contract to free up more than $43 million in salary cap space. Your thoughts? Freeing it up, doesn't mean giving it away. He's going to get more money and they're going to get better because of it on the field. Caleb Williams, my man, tells us. Max Crosby's podcast, that his goal for next season is to make the Bears the highest scoring offense in the history of the league. Doable? No, that's not doable at all. But bringing Max Crosby over

would help the Bears spot. Last one, the Paul Allen estate, selling the Seahawks. Is that good timing? It's the best timing. The best possible timing. Super Bowl sell. We're out of time. We'll try to do better the next time. I'm Tony Cornhom. I'm Mike Lobon. Same time tomorrow, knuckleheads is that tampering they can't mess with Caleb for tampering can they not on a podcast I wouldn't think he's not naked the offer more max cross btie I